Photoelimination of HF by hexafluoroacetylacetone: A tandem laser study

Abstract
Tandem chemical laser techniques have been used to detect HF formed through photoelimination from 1,1,1,5,5,5‐hexafluoroacetylacetone, HFAA. Information about the HF vibrational population ratios is deduced: N2/N1 < 0.37 and N1/N0 < 0.45. This work supports the deduction by Bassett and Whittle that photodecomposition of the enol form of HFAA results mainly in HF elimination and ring closure to a dihydrofuranone, a new type of reaction.